Taboo, which serves rattlesnake and alligator, to close

Saturday

Apr 14, 2007 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Most people would cringe. But, if your mouth waters at the sight of amphibians, there's still time to make the catch in Stockton. Though, it won't be long before the opportunity slithers away.

Jennie Rodriguez

STOCKTON - Most people would cringe. But, if your mouth waters at the sight of amphibians, there's still time to make the catch in Stockton. Though, it won't be long before the opportunity slithers away.

Taboo by the Delta, a Stockton night spot and exotic food restaurant, will close June 1, and its building on Whiskey Slough Road is up for sale.

Taboo's menu lives up to its name, featuring items such as alligator, rattlesnake, shark, frog legs and turtle.

"You do get negative reactions from people sometimes," owner Jesse "Boo" Burkett said.

The Nelsons didn't react that way. The Stockton family dined on a bit of everything from frogs legs to rattlesnake Thursday evening.

"It's good," said 24-year-old Joe Nelson, with a mouth full of snake meat. His wife, 22-year-old Anna Nelson, nibbled on alligator nuggets. "They taste like pork," she said. "I think it tastes like 'gator," said 24-year-old Mike Nelson, another family member.

Whatever it tastes like, "people are so curious to things that are different," said Burkett, a Tracy resident.

Burkett often jokes with them, saying, "I went right across the Delta, and you're in luck. I just wrestled a fresh alligator."

"People just buy into it."

The restaurant's rustic interior, where jazz, blues and R&B music play, is surrounded by wood-panel walls. In the center of the bar area, a wood-burning stove, sits on the black and red checkered concrete floor. On a recent Thursday evening, about 20 patrons were present.

The name is a perfect fit, said Burkett. It's "things that are forbidden. Things that would hurt you."

Kangaroo is on the menu, but serving it violates the law, said Troy Swauger, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. Burkett said he stopped serving it two years ago, after receiving a call from officials. In 2004, the restaurant also was banned from serving black bear, an item Burkett also said he no longer offers.

But he won't have to worry about compliance for long. After 10 years, Burkett will put his slicing knives down to retire in June.

"You might want to tell him to hurry up," said Swauger.

Burkett said the closure has nothing to do with any violations or criticism. He declined to comment on his profits or investment costs.

"We reached our goal, and we want to move on," Burkett said.

The fact that Taboo has been around since 1997, when the average failure rate for restaurants is 23 percent for the first year, is evidence that demand exists for it, said Kearsten Shepherd, spokeswoman for the California Restaurant Association.

"This place reminds me of my dad. He used to kill something (during hunting seasons) and bring it home," said 51-year-old Tony Theodele of Stockton. Burkett said anyone interested in buying the restaurant should contact Susan Jackson at (510) 706-8050.